Federal agency considers removing low head dam where 11-year-old boy drowned
Updated 5:20 AM;
The Army Corp of Engineers is looking into the option of removing a low head dam on its property in York County after an 11-year-old boy drowned there last week, an official told PennLive.
There were no warning signs posted at the dam on private property on Cordorus Creek at Hershey Road in Jackson Township. Payton Gonzalez walked there with a friend March 25 to swim, but got caught in a strong current and pulled over the dam.
The tragedy exposed a loophole in a new law designed to protect the public from the hidden dangers of low head dams, which can appear harmless but are known as “drowning machines” for their powerful hydraulics that can trap even experienced swimmers wearing life jackets underwater.
Duncannon continues to lose water despite pipe fixes, other repairs
Updated Feb 27, 2021;
Posted Feb 27, 2021
FLOW CONTROL Workers from Farhat Excavating lower a new water pipe into a trench at the intersection of Cumberland and High streets in Duncannon on Aug. 19, 2020. On the ground is a new valve (red) to help the borough limit service disruptions in the future when working on its water system. (Jim T. Ryan photo)
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It’s been four years since Duncannon began to notice that it was losing water from its system at above normal rates, but for all its efforts, the losses are higher than they were – even after multiple repair projects.
bkibler@altoonamirror.com
Pennvest on Wednesday awarded the Altoona Water Authority $30.9 million in low-interest loans to renovate the Bellwood dam and the water treatment plant below it.
The authority, which has been planning the projects for several years, received a permit from the Department of Environmental Protection for the plant renovation several months ago and one for the dam renovation several weeks ago.
The authority is undertaking the $21 million dam project under pressure from DEP, because its spillway is severely undersized, posing a risk in the event of a major storm. The authority is undertaking the $9.9 million plant project because it’s nearing the end of its projected life, so it makes sense to do the work while the reservoir behind the dam is empty.